Are flyovers the solution to traffic congestion?

In December 2022, Vadodara, a city in Gujarat, inaugurated its longest flyover named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The 3.5 km flyover, the longest built by a civic body (Vadodara Municipal Corporation) in the state, aims to reduce traffic congestion and shorten the travel time for commuters. India’s first flyover, the Kemps Corner Flyover in Mumbai, was opened to the public in 1965, and since then the number of flyovers in the country has been on the rise, not just in metro cities but also in non-metro cities. For instance, the State government of Assam has announced plans to build 3 new flyovers in Guwahati, which already has 11 operational and 1 under-construction flyovers.

Flyovers are often considered a solution to streamline traffic flow, but are they really? According to experts, flyovers are old-school solutions that provide only a short-term relief from traffic. As the number of flyovers increase, people are encouraged to use private vehicles, which ultimately leads to traffic congestion.

To provide seamless travel for commuters, authorities should focus on more cost-effective solutions like improving public transport and removing bottlenecks. Realizing this, few cities around the world have transformed their flyovers into public spaces like urban parks. For example, the Cheonggyecheon elevated highway in Seoul, built on a canal, was demolished and built into a park that has helped reducing noise levels and temperature in the surrounding area.

Do flyovers in your city reduce traffic congestion? To learn more about the Vadodara flyover, read here.